The Next Best Thing to Recess:Teaching Biology in Second Life

Dr. Mary Anne Clark

Professor of Biology

Texas Wesleyan University

18 February 2010

Genome IslandGenome Island is located in the

SciLands – a continent composed of 64 science-related islands at Second Life.

Second Life is a 3D virtual world with user-created content.

Over 300 colleges and universities have an educational presence at Second Life.

Genome IslandLearning Spaces

Conference Area Exhibit

Student Project Gallery

Experiment Place to Think

Genome Island Activity Clusters

Tower

Terrace

Abbey

Genome Island Use at Wesleyan

• Biology majors in required courses

Occasional on-campus use

Laboratory simulations

Class demonstrations• *Nonmajors electing a science class

Online class in world

Class sessions and content on Genome

Blackboard (CE6) interface

Preparation for the NSC 1414 class

Before the class began: E-mails sent to all students enrolled in the class

Students registered for SL accounts

Students downloaded the free SL browser

Orientation at SciLands basic skills center

First week of class:Blackboard login check

Class met in the Abbey conference area

Genome Island Orientation

Eight course modules Weekly discussions in world Activities on Genome Island Assignments related to activities Pretest, Midterm, Final Exam Gene Project

Course Activities

Course Blackboard Site

Link to Genome

Blackboard Portal from Genome

Student Discussion Group

The presence ofan instructor is critical.

Activity Guidelines on Blackboard

Student Activity

Activity Data

Assignment on Blackboard

Pretests/Posttests Visitor data ( http://mayarealities.com )

Number of unique visitors Total visits Average time/visitor Visitor returns

Object activity records Discussion recording

Information Collected

Weekly Visitor Records

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 200

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

TotalVisits

68881851

1964

Weeks

Classbegins

Classends

7139

Weekly Time / Visitor

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 200

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Time (m)

Midterm

Classbegins

Classends

2202 hrs

Weeks

Min

ute

s

Return VisitsR

etu

rn V

isits

Discussion Attendance

Week Discussion1 182 163 154 155 176 167 129 13

10 1611 1412 1313 1414 12

Activity Records

IndexObjects

Activity Records

Index

ObjectsAny

InteractionAverage

InteractionModule 1 13 20 19Module 2 12 18 16.6Module 3 12 17 13.2Module 4 10 16 10.3Module 5 15 14 11.6Module 6 12 14 12Module 7 14 14 12.4Module 8 12 12 10.1

Student Retention and Achievement

Number Mean STD

Enrolled 23

Pretest 18 35 11

Midterm 17 72 32

Final 16 73 12

Is Genome Island a Game? Genome Island is more of a laboratory for me. (3) Genome Island is more of a classroom in my opinion because when I go there I feel

like I am stepping into a classroom, plus the fact that the teacher is there makes it seem more structured like a classroom environment. (2)

I think that Genome Island is like a lab and a game rolled into one. The game aspect makes it more fun, but the work is just as difficult.

Genome Island is an environment that is a combination of classroom, laboratory and great game. It definitely is a classroom. However, the labs are surrounding the learning materials that helps enforce learning. The whole island is a big game to me that I very much enjoy.

Genome Island is a new and different type of environment. It is WAY more challenging mentally than any game (any game I have played!) Not quite as formal as a classroom and a very controlled laboratory

Well, it’s all of the above. It functions like a video game though, which is not so great for people like myself who are video game challenged.

This application is really all 3 rolled into one which helps by keeping things fun. It is cartoony like a game, but with relevant information provided to help learning.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Genome/119/145/54http://slurl.com/secondlife/SciLands/196/17/23http://secondlife.com/support/downloads/?lang=en-US

Max Chatnoir

E-mail: mclark@txwes.edu